Question

A 6.5 kg lump of clay is sliding to the right on a fricitonless surface with a speed of 23 m/s. It collides head-on and sticks to a 2 kg metal sphere that is sliding to the left with a speed of -7 m/s. What is the kinetic energy of the combined objects after the collision?

Answer 1

Answer:

The kinetic energy of the combined objects after the collision = 1768.25 Joules

Step-by-step explanation:

The mass of the lump of clay, m₁ = 6.5 kg

The speed of the lump of clay, v₁ = 23 m/s

The mass of the metal sphere, m₂ = 2 kg

The speed of the metal sphere, v₂ = -7 m/s

The Kinetic Energy (KE) of the combined objects after collision is calculated as shown below:

`KE=(1)/(2)m_1v^2_1+(1)/(2)m_2v^2_2^{}`
`\begin{gathered} KE=(1)/(2)(6.5)(23^2)+(1)/(2)(2)(-7)^2 \\ KE=1719.25+49 \\ KE\text{ = }1768.25J \end{gathered}`

The kinetic energy of the combined objects after the collision = 1768.25 Joules